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Sunday, January 30, 2011

After 3 solid sick days Miss C she sent me to time out after I made her take her medicine. We use the rule of one 1 minute for every year of your age. I rather liked time out and did not want to leave! Mr T told me I had to leave time out after 29 minuets Mr T said I have to come out. I might spend more Saturday nights in time out, even if I have to sit my big butt in a little chair, where it so very quite!

It's not very often I am in front of the camera but Mr. T thought this was funny enough to capture. Probably because Miss C sends him to time out all the time.

Monday, January 24, 2011

If you have kids you know what I'm talking about. If you don't it looks something like this...

The day starts out seemingly normal as grandparent wants to do fun things with grandchild.

Then grandparent gives child HUGE ice cream cone. Sure they could have shared one HUGE icecream cone but what fun would that be? It's more fun to let the child get sticky from HUGE melting cone and then be good cop when mommy tries to throw it away.

And of course Grandparents never enforce nap time! So by night time said grandchild looks like this!

So I think the best thing to cure grandparent syndrome is to let granddaughter do Grandmother's hair.

take pictures and post them on the world wide web never to be deleted!

Definition of SUBURBIA

I's that number 3 that involves good survival skills to deal with the number 2! and I'm going to invent the number 4 that should be say commute. In our case long ass commute that keeps getting longer!

So I'm sure I don't need to detail what exactly goes on in suburbia that requires survival skills because apparently it's common knowledge and I'm the one person that missed that memo! I thought suburbia was a geographical location... quickly I learned it's a lifestyle! Nothing wrong with it! Hear me out I'm not knocking it I'm just saying I'm not a suburbia type gal. I live in a AWESOME city and I really enjoy the city and all it's quirkiness. We are living 20 miles from the center of the city but it feels like a whole different city. My master planned community is made up of very few locals and a lot of transplants. Mostly people that relocated from California. Once again hear me out, I LOVE California (seriously would buy a home there if I could afford more than a box of cat litter in an ally there) but it is strange to be in the city I love and have been in for 11 years (the Hubby was born and raised here) and meet people who never even go into town and have little interest in anything that happens off "scrapbook island"!

So as names for the blog ran threw my head I settled on this one after one incident last week. On my way to pick Miss C up from school I had to wait 5 minutes for a camera crew to fix a boom mike in the middle of my street. Really! The scene in Bolt where the director catches a glimpse of the boom mike in a clip came to mind. I had mixed feelings, about living in a place where I have to wait to drive down the street as they film reality TV. Then again at least it's not Real House Wives of Scrapbook Island.

The show being filmed here is on TLC called Quints by surprisestaring none other than my facebook friendsThe Jones Family. Cause in the Burbs you gotta be on Facebook, every mothers favorite bragging tool. (but we will never admit that! "It's just for keeping in touch with friends" ;)

So for now my little family blog will be called Surviving Suburbia and include some of myStories form Suburbiaas well and the adventures of our lives as a new family. At least until my house sells!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

So I am mad at Mr. Andrew Wakefield, because he caused me, even for a brief time, to not trust the expertise of the medical community. I blame him because he has caused thousands of other parents worldwide to mistrust doctors as well - and more importantly, the power of vaccinations. I blame Mr. Andrew Wakefield because I believe the decrease in the percentage of vaccinations worldwide makes all of us less safe from diseases that should not be killing our children. Because the percentage of infants that have been vaccinated has dropped from 95% to 80% in the years since his study was published, it puts more people at risk of contracting illnesses, and a greater risk of those infected people at getting into contact with others that have also not received vaccinations. And what of the parents (or grandparents), who DID receive the proper vaccinations in infancy, but for whom the vaccinations have waned with age? What is to keep them safe at this point? When measles, whooping cough and countless other illnesses were practically eradicated thanks to vaccines, the whole of society was safe. Now we are not.And if you are one of the parents who thinks I am dead wrong, let me just say this. I totally could be. I am willing to admit that. I have been wrong about a whole host of things in my 29 years, and am fully willing to admit I could be wrong about this. But here is why YOU should be mad at Dr. Wakefield (for you, the believers, I will still call him Dr. Wakefield, as he does for himself. Although he has no valid medical license, he still graduated from medical school and has a right to that title.) - he is blaming you, not himself, for what has happened. He maintains that his study was about autism and bowel disease, and never about vaccinations. It was you - the silly, overreacting parents - who made the link between autism and vaccines, not him. It is a conspiracy, you see, to discredit him. And since you were the ones that read his study about "bowels" and turned it into "vaccines", you are partially to blame for what has become of him now. And I hope you are ashamed for that. NOT! I should have know better when Jennie McCarthy was his spokes woman.

Monday, January 10, 2011

We rang in the 2011 with family and friends and Elmwood Gardens. The gardens are walking distance to my parents house and a really fun venue to host any event. My family rents the place out to host an annual New Years Eve party. This was Mr.T's second time to spend NYE at the gardens with my family and we never fail to entertain him. This year we let Miss C come for an hour or two since she is a dancing queen! Then about 9:30 she went up the road to great grandma's house. I was really excited Chuck and Amanda came from College Station to ring in the new year with us. Chuck and I used to spend every NYE together so it's nice to continue that with our growing families.

The Last Picture of The Collins in 2010

From the minute Miss C saw me setting up the stereo she knew there was going to be a dance party and she was NOT going to miss out. She was never short a dance partner. We thought it only fair that she got to come and she was so funny to watch.

Since Mr. T and I have a serious itunes addiction (9,948 songs) my family thought we should DJ the party! Seeing that there is no way I could sit out a dance (so you see where Miss C gets it from) Mr. T did most of the actual DJ work. He might not admit it but he was totally into it!

This is a little dark but it's so sweet I had to share. Miss C asked Papa to dance! This is Miss C first dance with her Great Grandpa. I'm not sure papa was really into turning circles which is Miss C's signature move!

Yep thats my Papa dancing with me to Single Ladies! We are still laughing about that! He started the night saying he was not dancing, we knew that would not last long.

As much as the crowed swears they are all boot, scoot & boogie... By midnight they were ALL Boogie!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

When I started this blog 1 year ago I was just kind of testing it out. So I just titled it the first thing I thought sounded catchy ( actually 2nd thing) and generic. Now that 2010 is over I have to rename the blog for obvious reasons. I have a few ideas running around. Anyone have any snappy ideas?

Thursday, January 6, 2011

As much as I love the digital age and I'm all for saving trees there is nothing better than opening and reading a sincere thank you note. Wether it is a formal thank you not after a wedding or shower or just a sweet note to show your appreciation for something someone has done, it matters and it is appreciated on the receiving end.

So Miss C I will continue writing your thank you notes for you for now, but like my Grandmother taught me, I will teach you how important this little token of appreciation truly is.

So This is my first official post of 2011, yeah, yeah I know I have technically posted since January 1 but that does not count. This is my first post with events occurring in 2011. Maybe it's just me, but at best my post seem to be about 3 days behind they day they actually occurred. It's the pictures that slow me down but I think thats the best part.

I was thinking this should be a post including all my new yeas resolutions. Well I'v narrowed it down to one...

FinishYes, finish. You see, I have the kind of personality that bounces around from idea to idea like a pinball rattling around inside an 80s arcade game. I vibrate with so much excitement when I take on a newproject that I have to completely immerse myself in it--obsessively devouring any and all information pertaining to whatever plan has taken root inside my head. For a time, this new interest is what sustains me, it's my only focus. I am driven. This period can last anywhere from an hour to a month to a year. But then I get bored. Or distracted by something else. Or lazy. And I never finish any of these endeavors--at least not to the point that I'm happy with. So this year, I willfinishsomething. Or hopefully a lot of somethings. Ok, that's lofty. How about a couple of somethings? As in: one more year of this blog!

You see I finished my first year of blogging! and I'm very proud of my self. I started this a a modern day baby book for my daughter. See my Very First Blog Post here. I'v been working on the Finish goal for a while now. The old if you make a commitment stick to it thing. So I am proud that I did a whole year of blogging. I'v learned a lot and have some new ways to improve my style. I never actually thought anyone but my immediate family would read this thing so I was not to worried about content and grammar. If you know me your saying to your self put Learn How To Spell on your resolution list! So I'm going to work on that to :) I have to give credit where credit is due. It was my neighbor that I stole this idea from inspired my to do this. Victoria over at Adventures in Abelingland does an awesome blog and turns it into a book at the end of each year.

Monday, January 3, 2011

This Christmas was exciting because Miss C is starting to understand a guy named Santa is going to bring her gifts and that she has to be good. We put cookies out for Santa and reindeer food for the deer. I think my mom's Labrador H thought he was a reindeer, heck he is a big as one!

We had all our family together, Grandparents, Parents, Aunts, X-Uncles, Cousins, Dogs lot's of dogs!

You just can't beat that! Miss. C was spoiled rotten. It took us two car loads back to Austin to get it all home! We love a country Christmas. Mr.T's phone does not pick up reception and he loves that! He eats Pop's cooking, drinks beer and watches coma inducting amounts of football. A "man coma"

Minus the stress of the 26 hrs of lost Lucy it was a wonderful Christmas and we are very blessed!

I'm blushing! You just saw me in my night gown!

Got to love it when the grandparents TOTALLY over shadow all the gifts you bought with this!

Now that Lucy is home safe I can look back on Miss C's 4th Christmas with fond memories, Woo Hoo!

Remember when I posted about our very trendy mom thing to do called the Elf on the Shelf? Well if no then click Here. I talked about how my grandmother has actually had an Elf on the shelf since before she can remember! Turns out her little elves belonged to her mother, Big Mama, who FYI was never even close to big! So it turns out the Santa has been sending little elves to my family for generations!

It started off just as I had hoped, actually later than I imagined because Miss. C slept till 10:45! She woke up and ran down the hall and her eyes light up over all the goodies that Santa had brought. We called all the other family members and they drove over to watch Miss. C open gifts. I imagined watching her open each and every gift I had so excitedly purchased and wrapped.

Here is Mr T's blair witch video skills!

All was going well till Ganny (my mom) asked where Lucy (the four legged one) was. Much to everyones surprise we could not find her. This was very strange because usually Lucy is right under our feet. She loves her humans. We immediately started a search party. This was at 12:30pm. Our search party of 9 looked for three hours. It seemed she just vanished. Remember now that we are out on my parents ranch; lots of wide open space, woods and wildlife. Sounds beautiful right? Not if your a 6 year old slightly over weight Caviler King Charles Spaniel that has spent very little time outside.! I'll try to make a long sad story short her. I cried and cried and cried some more! I was sick to my stomach. We all knew once night fall came her chances of survival were slim to none. The coyotes are really bad there. We went on with Christmas activities but it was very somber. I drowned my sorrows in red wine which only caused more tears. I bawled at the thought of Miss C when realized that Lucy was missing. My favorite childhood pet Zeus died on Christmas eve about 9 years ago. Really did that happen again, loosing our dog on Christmas morning? Yes!

What a shitty Christmas!

BUT!

Miracles do happen!

The next day as we are packing up to head back to Austin our neighbor pull up in front of the house. To tell us she has spotted Lucy! What happened was my Aunt Lucy posted a Lost/ reward poster on her Facebook for for Our 4 legged Lucy. Leah the neighbor saw the post while having diner at her sisters house and called to tell us she had spotted Lucy in her paster on Christmas day about 12:30. So again we went on a search party in the area she was spotted. Out hopes were so slim since she had been gone 20 hours and it was below freezing that night and the nasty coyote problem. We had no Luck.

Leah the neighbor felt so bad for us that she decided to ride her horses in the woods that afternoon a look for Lucy. SHE FOUND HER! Leah came and got me and I did a mad dash to the woods were she spotted Lucy. Lucy had burrowed down at the base tree where she was hidden in briers and covered in leaves. Scared to death but alive!